Happy Birthday//Welcome Home!

[alittlehinky]

The garden is flourishing, a riot of blooms at one end, plants heavy with fruit at the other. The chickens are in place, over two dozen of them in an oversized coop at one end of the property. The barn is unfinished, but the moonshining shed is massive, shiny and new, with locks on the doors and storm shutters on the windows, in case of another winter like the last.

The house is not huge, a sturdy two-bedroom place built with thick stone walls. It contains single floor for living, a small attic, and a deep split-level cellar. The furniture has been moved in; it's all secondhand but repaired and refinished.

By Cricket's own standards, the place is practically a palace. He never dreamed he would own so much land--granted, this is the Nexus so the topography and acreage may fluctuate, his claim may be challenged legally, whatever--it belongs to him right now, he bought it with money he earned, and he's got the living space upon it arranged to his liking.

It's sunset, and there are fairy lights strung up on the porch and in the yard, tables with food and moonshine set out, and beneath the treeline off to the right of the house there are fireflies flickering. There's a radio playing music, and lots of blankets spread on the grass for sitting or watching the stars. It's meant to be a low-key affair, but enough people wanted to see Cricket's place he felt like a party was the right idea. A small one. A quiet one.

(This is the Nexus, and there are Lokis. There is always a chance small and quiet may not stay small and quiet.)

The cake, in case anyone wants to know, is vanilla with blackberry filling. There's no writing on it, but it's the centerpiece of the food table. Cricket's not in the habit of demanding attention on his birthday, but...blackberry cake.

[[ETA: Please feel free to assume if your character knows Cricket they were invited via text or face-to-face discussion. If your character doesn't know Cricket personally but you want them to drop in, feel free to PM me and we'll figure out a reason to get them there.]

Comments

[middle_son]

Cricket's time is also Forrest's time, so that puts him as not even born yet where Forrest is from. He looks at the Walkman when Palmer pulls it out, but his expression shows mild bewildered incomprehension. Yup, that is a box with a cord. That probably does something. It does not look like it could walk, since it has no legs, and it's definitely not a man, and Forrest doesn't know what a 'Sony' is, either. As examples go, it's just plain mystifying.

"Said he hadda shop, I just don't spend much time here. Got work back home." He's making a mental note that he should really make plans to stop by, though.

[readvondaniken]

"It plays music," Palmer explains when he sees the look of confusion on Forrest's face. "You push this button here, put these here headphones on your ears, and voila! Music. Really nothing too fancy, but I'm guessing they're not really a thing where you're from. Not yet, anyway. There's all kinds of machines in the future that I've taught Cricket about."

"Kinner's Kippers. That's what it's called. He's a great guy. Little rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart." Palmer rummages in his pocket. "Tell you what - how 'bout we swap PINpoint information?"

[middle_son]

Assuming that Forrest knows what headphones are may also be a stretch, really. But he gives a slow nod, and if he doesn't quite fully understand than at least he can give the impression that he does. All they have at the station is a radio. The Bondurant family was never wealthy or fancy enough to have a phonograph.

'Rough around the edges, with a good heart' could be applied to a number of people Forrest knows, including his older brother Howard. Palmer looks just a little bit like Howard, really, in a way Forrest hasn't yet pinned down. The habit of self-medication, maybe.

Oh no.
Is exchanging PINpoint info some kind of ritual around here?
It probably is.
Forrest pulls his out and hesitates, then prods at it a little to pull up his own number on it, with the air of a senior trying to work out a VCR remote.

[readvondaniken]

Palmer's offering the PINpoint because he's taken a liking to Forrest and also so he can let him know how Cricket's doing. He's not Cricket's guardian, of course, Cricket's an adult, but he is his employer. He considers Cricket's wellbeing partly his responsibility.

While Forrest works with the PINpoint, Palmer's taking the chance to enjoy his supper. By this point Palmer's gobbled down the last of the chicken he took, and is happily sucking the last scrap from the bones. He politely compliments Forrest as he discards them.

"Delicious. Thanks, Forrest. These are some good eats. But yeah, Cricket's fine. He's a good hand with a car, and we make a great team. You're welcome to visit my shop sometime."

[middle_son]

If there is one thing that Forrest is not fond of about the Nexus, it's these weird little boxes with their buttons and their screens. Give him a pen and paper, any day. Also, Forrest would definitely argue that he is Cricket's guardian. He's been looking after him and his own younger brother since he was a teenager, himself.

"There's bread rolls, too." Also homemade, and a jar of fresh homemade butter to go with it. Forrest has brought some amazing food. He frowns at the screen of his PINpoint, and holds it out to Palmer displaying his own number on it, for the other man to take down. "Might come by." He doesn't do much shopping in the Nexus, but he's thinking he should probably assess what resources are available, here.

[readvondaniken]

"Don't mind if I take you up on that offer." Palmer takes a couple of breadrolls and adds butter. Hey, he's never one to turn down a free meal, and he's still hungry. He decides to talk a little more before digging in.

Palmer doesn't mind the PINpoints so much, but he's used to them. He's also a mechanic - he likes going through things and seeing what makes them tick. "Wouldn't mind if you came by. My place is called Gear Today, Gone Tomorrow." Palmer pulls a business card with his address and PINpoint information, offering it to Forrest after he copies down the other man's number.

[middle_son]

There is nothing on earth that compares to fresh-churned butter from milk that came out of a cow less than 24 hours ago. It's soft and rich and creamy. What Forrest makes is farm food, stuff that's designed for people who eat it and then go work in a field for hours on end.

Forrest raises an eyebrow at the pun that is the shop's name, but dutifully takes the business card, and is grateful not to have to punch the numbers in on the little keypad right now. He's a smart man, but the PINpoint is weird and foreign and makes his fingers feel big and clumsy. "Is it cars 'n trucks, or... other stuff?"

[readvondaniken]

Once Palmer's eaten one of the breadrolls, he would agree with that assessment. He gives Forrest a thumbs-up. He's not a picky eater, far from it, but the breadrolls are delicious. Palmer greedily slips another breadroll into his pocket to eat later. No harm keeping a snack to eat when the party's over.

When off work, Palmer always keeps a few business cards on his person. He is a salesman, after all. "Yeah, we do cars and trucks, but you're right, we do other things, too. I do general repairs and restoration work, if you've ever got any need for that. Cricket works for me sometimes, along with a man named Cassian."

[middle_son]

Forrest doesn't advertise Blackwater Station; the road and word of mouth brings his business to him. The reputation of his baked goods may have something to do with that. But he does not have business cards.

"Don't got a lot beyond cars 'n trucks, and th'stills. Cricket used t'be our mechanic at th'station, though." They have not replaced him yet, and while the Bondurant brothers all know the basics of car maintenance and can repair easy issues for travelers, none of them have Cricket's more advanced skills with an engine.

[readvondaniken]

Palmer's a salesman, even if he tries not to oversell. Despite his shady past and the illegal nature of his side business back home, he's honest in his business dealings, something he puts pride in. He's not shy about blowing his own horn, either.

"Cricket's a talented mechanic. He's been a great assistant when he's worked together with me - that car we made that runs on his moonshine's really somethin'. If you ever need a spare hand 'round in your world, I'm happy to help you out if you'd ever like. 'Cause you're a friend of Cricket, I'm willing to work for free. Cars and trucks are familiar territory for me."

[middle_son]

"Hrrm. I'll keep't in mind. Need somebody full time again. Cricket's not easy t'replace." It's meant as a compliment, a high one indeed. He'll let the comment about a car that runs on moonshine pass, since he has a suspicion that particular idea was born out of an incident that nobody seems willing to tell him about directly.

[readvondaniken]

"Yeah, he's been a very useful hand in the shop, I'll say. I'm not sure I'd be available full time - I've got my own shop to run - but you can call on me whenever you need a favor." Palmer's pretty confident he can tackle anything Forrest might ask him to do as a mechanic.

[middle_son]

Forrest shakes his head a little, because he doesn't expect or ask that anybody from the Nexus become their full time mechanic. They need somebody from their own world- and county. People in Franklin don't really trust anybody but other locals, when it comes down to it. Also the vehicles Forrest would present him with would probably look like antiques, to Palmer. Not that this is necessarily a negative.

"Won't come bother you unless we're inaspot." He's still grateful to have that resource if he needs it.